1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lamp driving apparatus, a liquid crystal display (“LCD”) having the same and a driving method thereof, and more particularly, to a lamp driving apparatus, an LCD having the same and a driving method thereof which includes an inverter for driving a lamp.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a liquid crystal display (“LCD”) has a light mass, thin depth, and low power consumption. Thus, LCDs are often used for office automatic appliances, audio/video appliances etc. Because the LCD is not a self-emitting display apparatus, the LCD requires a light source such as a backlight unit. The LCD displays an image on a liquid crystal panel by using light emitted from the backlight unit.
Conventionally, a cold cathode fluorescent lamp (“CCFL”) is used as the light source of the backlight unit. The CCFL is valuable for generating low heat, high brightness, long life span, and full color. However, when high voltage is applied to a surface of a cathode of the CCFL, a plurality of electrons are emitted outwardly, so that the CCFL needs the high voltage to drive itself.
Generally, an inverter having a transformer generates the high voltage. A level of initial driving power is sensitively influenced by circumstantial factors of the lamp. The initial driving power for driving the CCFL needs the higher level of power at low temperatures than at high temperatures and in a state of absence of light than in a state of existence of light. If the initial driving power of the required voltage level is not provided to the lamp, a driving power of the lamp is cut off and then the lamp may not be driven after a predetermined time.
Thus, when the lamp is in environments of absence of light and low temperature, it takes a longer time for driving the lamp than in environments having an existence of light and a higher temperature. Moreover, the lamp has difficulty in adequately driving due to the high initial driving voltage.